"What color is your bamboo shoot? Organic foods try to lure buyers with right tint."

The makers of organic food can't put artificial colors in their products. But they can use colors from natural sources such as beets, seeds and flowers.

The result can mean beets in ice cream, carrots in candy and vegetables in fruit smoothies – which may not sound appetizing but is supposed to make organic food more desirable.

To compete with mainstream rivals, the rapidly growing organic foods industry wants its pastas, cookies, cereals and other foods to appeal to the eye as much as the conscience of the average consumer. . .

. . ."Makers of organic caramel color say they can meet demand right now. D.D. Williamson, a color manufacturer in Louisville, KY., offers organic caramel colors (sic) made from cane syrup and rice syrup. Colas, breads, cookies, soy sauce, cereal and even pet foods use caramel coloring. It's in "almost anything that's brown," said Owen Parker, vice president of research and development. Mr. Parker said the color is made by heat-treating the syrup."